I Promise
by FlakJacket
Summary: Hecate Winter is afraid, alone, and about to graduate during the Second War, when Snape gives her a helping hand. R/R please! **FINISHED**
1. I Promise

"I Promise"  
  
'Thank God for my own room,' thought Hecate Winter calmly, looking about the Head Girl's room with satisfaction. 'Thank God there will be no more unwanted roommates bursting in just as I'm getting ready to go to bed, gabbing on and on about how cute that Draco Malfoy is...' Hecate let out a sigh of content, "Finally...what I've been waiting for."  
  
***  
  
Potions moved slower than usual, mostly due to the fact that Hecate had finished her Sleeping Draught fifteen minutes ago. Harry Potter looked at her with slight envy; he was still struggling through N.E.W.T. Potions, and so far, the Sleeping Draught was turning into a gloppy mess. "You should be finished with your Draughts by now," said Professor Snape, glaring at Harry nastily, "so swap with your partner and drink. Hopefully, Potter and Longbottom will be paired up together so they can finish each other off simultaneously." Neville's looked no better than Harry's, and Hecate chuckled slightly at Snape's joke.  
  
Luckily for Harry, however, Hermione paired up with Neville; Ron Weasley, however, was up in the hospital wing from a Quidditch injury, so Harry was left partnerless. Unfortunately for Hecate, so was she, being one of the less popular members of Slytherin. "Winter and Potter, pair up," said Snape, noticing the two house outcasts. Harry's shoulders sank; he knew how much Hecate loathed him. Hecate, however, had another reason to hate him; Harry's potion looked like uncooked clam chowder, and she was afraid to drink it. "Swap!" said Snape, "And make it quick!" Hecate hesitated, "Here's mud in your eye, Potter," she grumbled, swigging his potion quickly. For a moment, nothing seemed wrong, 'Perhaps he did it right and it just came out with the wrong color and texture.' Then she felt her stomach drop; at least there was the reassuring thud of Potter landing on the floor next to her; clearly her Draught was correct.  
  
Hecate passed out quickly.  
  
***  
  
When she awoke ten minutes later, everyone else was standing over her, including Harry, who felt awful about the incident. Hecate lifted her head slowly, then noticed Harry, "I'm sorry!" he said, "It wasn't a Sleeping Draught! It was a-" Hecate stopped and looked at her hands; they were green. "A VENOMOUS TENTACULA POTION?!" she shrieked, "WHY I'LL KILL YOU!" She sat up abruptly and the blood rushed from her head, and she promptly passed out again.  
  
***  
  
The second time Hecate awoke, her skin was a normal color, "Stupid Potter," she said nastily, "A dash of leech juice, not the whole bloody vial!" "I already said that to him, so you had might as well keep that to yourself," said a voice, and suddenly Hecate realized where she was; in the hospital wing. The voice belonged to Professor Snape, who was sitting in the corner of the room, looking at her with a slightly pleased expression. "I'll take it fifty points was deducted from Gryffindor," she said hopefully. "Only twenty-five," he said, "unfortunately." She nodded, "Either way, I'll be off to my dormitory now..." "Unfortunately that's a no as well," he said, "Venomous Tentacula potion can cause a person to randomly collapse for at least a day, so you'll be here until tomorrow morning."  
  
Hecate punched her pillow angrily, "But I don't need to stay here! I'm one hundred percent fine!" "Just give it a minute," replied Snape calmly. "What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, then her eyes rolled up, and she collapsed a third time onto the pillow.  
  
***  
  
At lunch the following day Hecate was almost fuming; so far, her History of Magic class had gone badly; she had accidentally set fire to Hermione Granger's robes whilst Professor Binns' had been droning on about...something or other. Another goblin rebellion of some sort, maybe. It really was amazing what boredom could cause you to do, much less zone out. Henceforth, she would be doing detention with Binns for three hours. 'Stuck with Binns, the great bore. Probably end up getting bored to death...' she thought bitterly. She was seated at the end of the table, alone, when someone approached her; as it turned out, it was Potter. "Oh what do you want?!" she said, "Come to give me another one of your disastrous potions?!" His face turned pink, "No...actually, I came to apologize." She did a double take, "Do what?" "Apologize," he repeated, "for that...disastrous potion. If I had known it would put you in the hospital wing...well, if I had known it wasn't a Sleeping Draught..."  
  
Hecate groaned inwardly at his struggle for words, "Fine, fine, apology accepted, now let me eat my lunch in peace!" Potter looked slightly startled, then shuffled off to the Gryffindor table. "Stupid Potter," she muttered, stabbing her steak-and-kidney pie with venom.  
  
***  
  
Dinner occurred without a hitch, except for Snape coming up to her and telling her that she would be serving detention with him instead; apparently, Binns was off at a last minute ghost convention of some sort or another. When she had finished her dessert, Hecate slowly picked herself up and headed to the Slytherin common room; she had an hour until her detention began. Upon her arrival, the common room grew silent for a moment, then returned to its' usual dull roar. In the meantime, Hecate went up the stairs and said the password (swizzle stick) that allowed her into her private room. For some time, she played her oboe, a long, thin, black instrument that only Muggles were familiar with.  
  
It was half past seven before she finally looked up at the clock.  
  
She gasped with horror; she was half an hour late to detention. Immediately she jumped up and began sprinting about the room, trying to put away her things so she could dash down to the dungeon, but then she heard a knock at the door. Assuming it would be Snape, preparing to kill her, she opened the door slowly, only to reveal Draco Malfoy. "What do you want?" she said. "Nothing, except to tell you that Snape is down there in the common room, and he is in a right state." He grinned nastily at her, "Forget about your detention?" She grinned back at him, "Just as you forgot that the stairs turn into a slide when a boy goes into the girls' dormitory." "What?" he said; suddenly, there was a loud whooshing sound, and Draco disappeared down the slide, yelling curses all the way down. "Fool," she said, grabbing her black cloak and sliding down after him, landing lightly on her feet.  
  
She was still for barely a second when a pair of hands grabbed her by the cloak and dragged her out of the common room. "Professor, I'm sorry..." she said breathlessly, trying to put on her best, 'I'm just a poor, innocent girl' face. "You are half an hour late!" he snapped, finally releasing her and allowing her to walk behind him. She could barely keep up with his long, angry strides, "I was just practicing sir! I didn't mean-" "Be quiet you foolish girl! You've already landed yourself an extra hour in detention just for this alone!" Hecate silently kicked herself, also wishing she could kick Snape at the same time.  
  
***  
  
Two hours into the detention, Hecate's hands were raw; she had been cleaning cauldrons and scraping gum off of the bottoms of the worktables for so long that her eyes were burning and her hands were pink. "I hate manual labor," she muttered bitterly as she scrubbed. "Did you just ask for another hour, Miss Winter?" said Professor Snape from his desk. "No sir," she said, turning and facing him with her best sucking-up smile. Surprisingly, he smiled back; she was so taken aback by it that she almost did a double take, then remembered her manners.  
  
Until he said, "Wipe that damn smirk off your face."  
  
Her smile dropped, "Yes sir."  
  
***  
  
At the end of her ruthless, four hour long detention, Hecate felt as if she were about to go to sleep on her feet. Luckily, Snape had disappeared into his office some time ago, so she could at least sit down and relax a bit whilst scrubbing out the cauldrons. She laid her head down on the rim, dreaming of her satin-sheeted bed, and promptly fell asleep.  
  
Ten minutes later, she received a rude awakening.  
  
"THIS ISN'T NAPTIME, MISS WINTER! GET UP!"  
  
She jerked awake and nearly jumped out of her skin, then looked up at Professor Snape with humility, "I'm sorry! I just felt so tired!" He glared at her, "If it wasn't for the fact that you're in my house, Winter, I'd give you another detention. But seeing how it's twelve o'clock at night..." 'Please let me go, let me go to bed...' she thought hopefully. "...I'll just give you one more hour of detention, then you'll be free to go," he finished. Her heart sank, "Thank you, Professor."  
  
So for the next hour Snape came up with a new way to keep her awake; making yet another Sleeping Draught. She fetched the ingredients from their individual stores, and had just grabbed the jar full of dried nettles off the shelf by Snape's desk when she noticed something particularly...odd about the shelf. At least eight feet tall, and quite sturdy, it seemed rather...wobbly. She paid it no notice until she got back to her cauldron, then realized that the bottom supporting beams of the shelf were breaking. Snape noticed none of this and continued to grade papers at his desk, marking a large 'F' on Neville Longbottom's paper with satisfaction.  
  
It occurred in slow motion; the shelf fell and was clearly going to dash Snape's brains out all over the floor; Snape noticed what was happening and leapt up from his desk, but was far too late to get out of the way in time.  
  
"IMMOBULUS!" screeched Hecate.  
  
Everything, including Snape, froze in midair, the shelf halfway to crashing down upon his head. Hecate scrambled to his desk and grabbed him quickly, afraid that hitting him with an Unfreezing spell might also hit the shelf and cause the whole thing to fall to bits. As for her, she had never drug a six foot six inch two hundred pound immobilized man twelve feet before, but she hoped she'd never have to do it again. Now she understood why people whined about having to move dead weight. Luckily for the both of them, they got out of the way just in time; the shelf collapsed ten seconds later, the Freezing charm being one of her worst. Snape fell to the ground once he was Mobilized again, then turned to his desk to see it completely flattened underneath the gigantic potions shelf.  
  
Hecate and Snape both got up slowly, approaching the shelf and desk carefully; Hecate bent over to inspect the broken beams of the shelf. The supporting beams had clearly been sawed in half by...someone. "I think someone is trying to murder you," she said softly, looking at the very intentional work. Snape bent over and had a look; it was painfully obvious. Hecate stood up, "Who would try to kill you?" Snape's face went a little paler, "Can't think of anyone." She nodded, "Well..." she turned to the fallen shelf, "Reparo!"  
  
The beams of the shelf immediately re-forged, and the smashed potions bottles molded themselves again; the desk, however, would need to be replaced. Hecate and Snape put the shelf back up, then began clearing away the trashed desk. Then Hecate noticed something that had fallen on the ground; it was a scrap of parchment, and slapped on it was the Dark Mark, in bright, vivid green paint. "Professor..." she said, turning to him and showing him the parchment. He stared at it for a moment, then snatched it away, "Someone's idea of a sick joke," he snapped quietly.  
  
Suddenly, Hecate realized everything in a heartbeat, "You were a Death Eater, weren't you?" He glared down at her, "The Headmaster trusts me indefinitely..." "That's not what I said," she replied softly, "I trust the Headmaster's judgment, and I trust you. It's not a matter of trust; it's a matter of new and old bonds, isn't it?" He continued to glare at her, then suddenly snatched his forearm painfully, "Get out of here..." he growled. "No," she said slowly, "you're hurt." "No I'm not now get out of here before someone Apparates in here and finds you!" he said, trying to scare her off. "It's impossible to Apparate or Disapparate on Hogwarts grounds; I read it in Hogwarts: A History," she replied, taking his forearm gingerly and inspecting it with care.  
  
He snatched it away angrily, "Get out of here!" he bellowed. "I'm a seventh year Slytherin, my entire family is filled with Death Eaters, and I'm going to be Branded when I graduate," she snapped, "so don't you dare tell me no!" He stopped, "What you're telling me..." "Could very well lead to you sending in a league of Aurors to kill off my family," she said, "but I don't care anymore. I hate my family as it is. I just want to see what my arm will look like once I'm Branded!" He hesitated; she saw the moment and took his arm, ripped back the sleeve to reveal the black, angry-looking Dark Mark. She held out her own forearm; it was completely white, devoid of any mark...so far. "That's what it'll look like..." she said slowly, after a moment of observation. "Does it hurt much?" she whispered. "In the beginning," he said, "but you get used to the pain."  
  
She released his arm slowly, "I'm afraid." Suddenly Snape saw Hecate Winter as something more than a student; more as a comrade-in-arms. He could still recall when he was first Branded; the fear, the excitement, the horror... He looked down at her gravely, realizing the path that lay before her, "You're being forced into it, aren't you?" She looked up at him; tears were shining in her black, orb-like eyes, then nodded. "My entire family...I'm distantly related to the Lestranges, and the Dolohovs, and you know that they're all Death Eaters too... There's no escape for me. Join or die. Or better yet, join or be tortured into madness, like the Longbottoms..."  
  
Snape winced at hearing of the Longbottoms; thankfully he had not been witness to the crime of Bellatrix Lestrange... "My aunt, did you know?" said Hecate, guessing his thoughts, "Aunt Bella, for short. How I hate her...oh how I hate her...it's no wonder I can never look Neville in the face. No wonder I hate Draco Malfoy, or Crabbe, or Goyle...or Marcus Flint. They say there wasn't a witch or wizard who went bad that wasn't in Slytherin. Look at me; I guess they're right, aren't they?" The tears began to flow down her face, "I'm doomed! Once Dumbledore finds out, I'm dead! I'm dead either way! There's no escaping it! I don't want to die! I just want to get away from all of this...this madness! And this is all end!"  
  
Everything became clear to Snape now; why she hated her house so much, why she resented Harry Potter, why she always looked away from Neville Longbottom...why she loathed Draco Malfoy... "I'm just another tool," she said, "another part of Voldemort's awful regime...another...another life to be spent killing Muggles or torturing Aurors..."   
  
She burst into tears, turned away from him, tried to hide it. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she muttered, desperately trying to halt her crying, "but I'm afraid...we graduate in a month, and then I'll belong to the Death Eaters for good! I'm afraid!" Snape suddenly felt the anger swelling up inside of him; just another innocent life to Voldemort...another life to spend on something evil...and of all the lives, it was his brightest student... "...And the War is going on right now too! I'll be dead within minutes of being inducted into his stupid army! His awful, awful army! The young ones, we're all Auror fodder to him! We're worth nothing!" she stammered, still trying to stop her crying.  
  
Snape suddenly wrapped her up in an embrace, feeling her pain from years passed. "He won't take you," he said quietly, allowing her to sob uncontrollably into his chest, "he won't. I promise." She looked up at him, "You promise?" He nodded reassuringly, "I promise."  
  
To Be Continued... 


	2. Kept Promises

Kept Promises  
  
Hecate got up slowly and stretched; graduation would occur this afternoon, and then she would be riding the Hogwarts Express home, where her doom awaited her with orders from the Dark Lord and a tattoo. She sat up, yawned, then began to dress; she felt antsy, more or less because of what the following weeks could mean.   
  
She walked down to breakfast morosely, glanced at the other seventh years with loathing, then began to eat. The motions of eating came mechanically, with little gusto or desire; she was too nervous to think about food. She looked up at the High Table to see Professor Snape looking down at her; he had been helping her over the past few months by giving her lessons in spellcasting, potions, and charms to protect her from Voldemort. Although she doubted it would work, still...at least she felt more confident in herself.   
  
The day passed quickly, and before she knew it she was attending the graduation ceremony on the Hogwarts grounds, just outside the gates. As they received their diplomas, they each walked down the line and shook hands with their assorted professors. Hecate, for the first time in a month, felt more afraid than ever; after this, there would be no more Hogwarts, no more safe house for her.   
  
As Hecate shook hands with Professor Flitwick, tears came to her eyes; she would see these warm faces no more. Lastly, she shook hands with Professor Snape; he pulled her a little closer, however, and whispered harshly, "Save me a seat in your compartment. I'm coming with you." She looked up at him as if to say, 'But...' and he gave her the, 'But nothing,' look. She appeared barely fazed at all, then moved on, Shrinking her diploma and depositing it in her pocket. After that, she was off to the Platform.  
  
She now belonged to Voldemort.   
  
***  
  
The train rumbled to life quickly, and soon Hecate was on her way to Hell...er...wait a moment...ah yes, home. She was alone in the compartment, mostly because everyone tried to avoid her, and it wasn't until five minutes later that Professor Snape strode in and sat down opposite of her. She put down her copy of 'Which Broomstick?' and said, "To what do I owe this surprise?" He sat back slowly, "I was just thinking..." "Uh-oh," she responded. He frowned at her, and she smiled for the first time in what felt like ages. Surprisingly, he laughed a rich laugh that almost knocked her over; "You know it's too bad you don't laugh like that more often," she said, "you might have more friends." "That's why I don't laugh," he said, the smile dropping away slowly, "now back to the subject at hand.  
  
"Normally I live in Hogsmeade during the summer, but I happen to own an old family estate in Lewisham." "Lewisham!" said Hecate, "That's only ten kilometers from...!" "I know," he interrupted, "from where you live. That's why I thought that maybe I should move back into my mansion for at least this summer vacation. The reason being is that once the Death Eaters discover that you are very, very much not on their side, they'll go after you in seconds. Therefore, you'll need somewhere close by to run to." "And you want me to go to your mansion, and hide out there?" she asked. He nodded, "Yes." She frowned, "You're nutters. No." He looked taken aback, "What do you mean, 'No'?" "I mean no," she said, pulling out two Chocolate Frogs and tossing him one, "I'm not going to endanger you after all the help you've given me!"  
  
He glared, "You're coming to my estate and that's the end of it." "Or you'll do what?" she said, chomping on her Frog with satisfaction. "I'll come get you is what I'll do," he replied, unwrapping his own Frog slowly. "I'd like to see you try," she said with a grin, "because you won't even know where I am when he Brands me." "Oh yes I will," he said, "because I'm going to be there." Her grin dropped, "What?" "I'm going to be there," he said, "all senior Death Eaters are present during Brandings." Suddenly her Frog didn't taste as sweet, "I resent you." He smiled, and the room lit up, "I know."  
  
Just then, the door to the compartment opened, "Nowhere else left..." said a voice, and then Harry Potter's head popped in. His face went pale, "I...er..." "There's nowhere else left," snorted Hecate, "so you had might as well come in then." He glanced over at Snape, who glared at him nastily; Harry came in slowly, followed by Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. "The Magnificent Trio, I see," said Hecate, "inseparable as usual." Hermione looked down at Hecate with distaste as her, Ron, and Harry sat down, "We didn't ask for your opinion." "And we didn't ask for you to sit in this compartment," retorted Hecate. "There's nowhere else to sit, or else we wouldn't be in here," snapped Hermione. "Ooh, getting touchy, eh?" said Hecate. "Usually I'm never touchy, except around you!" she replied angrily.  
  
"Ah, come now, you're just jealous..." said Hecate, inspecting her nails carefully. "Jealous!" screeched Hermione, "I am not jealous of someone like you! You stuck up..." Hecate merely waved her hands as if to say, 'Bring it on,' a pleasant smile on her face. "You...horrible...taunting...evil...Death Eater!" finished Hermione. Ron and Harry gasped; Snape almost leapt to his feet but kept quiet. Hecate's blood pressure went up a hundred percent, and her face turned red, "What did you call me?" she rasped with anger. "Everyone knows it!" cried Hermione, "Everyone! You can't hide it from anyone! It's so obvious! And you're related to the Lestranges!"  
  
Hermione found herself slammed into the compartment door, a wand pressed against her ribcage, and Hecate Winter breathing down her neck. "If you ever call me that again...I'll hex you into oblivion." She released Hermione after a minute, then sat down, eyes enraptured on Hermione's next move. Hermione gasped for breath, seething with hatred, then, "Ron, we should go to the Prefects' compartment. That's where we belong anyway, being Head Boy and Girl." She looked at Harry apologetically, then disappeared down the train. Ron followed a moment later, and only Harry was left with Hecate and Snape. He was silent for a moment, then, "I'm sorry about Hermione. She's just...angry, about what happened to her parents and all. Thinks..." "That I had something to do with it?" said Hecate. Harry shrugged, "I don't know. I'm...I'm sorry."  
  
"It's not your fault, Potter," said Hecate, "I just want her to leave me the hell alone. I didn't ask for her to turn into little miss ice queen around me." He nodded, then got up, "Well...I'll just...I'll just be off, then." He left the compartment quietly, and the door slid shut.  
  
Snape clapped, "Good show. I wondered how you'd manage to get them all out of here." She shrugged, "I had to come up with something, didn't I?" The rest of the ride continued without a hitch, except for the brief discussion topic over what idiot allowed Gilderoy Lockhart onto a Chocolate Frog card.  
  
It wasn't until later, when the train finally pulled into Platform 9 3/4 that Hecate felt a thrill of fear run through her. Soon she would be home...but not far from Snape...and that was her one comfort. When both of them had retrieved their belongings, and they stood on the platform, ready to go in two opposite directions, Hecate looked up at Snape with a worried expression. "I don't want to accidentally put you in danger," she said. He shrugged, "Even if you do, it's not like it's a position I'm not used to." That only made her feel worse, then he smiled reassuringly, "Just remember that the moment you're Branded, Apparate to my estate. They won't expect you there." She nodded, "Okay."  
  
He gave her a half-smile, then raised his wand; a second later, he had Apparated off the platform with a quiet pop. She closed her eyes; wand raised, she in turn Apparated to a much different location.  
  
***  
  
When she opened her eyes again, Hecate was standing inside of her dark living room. She almost jumped out of her skin to discover her parents, Drusilla and Polydegmon, seated on the sofa. "Welcome home, Hecate," said her mother coldly, "are you ready?" Hecate felt her throat growing dry quickly, "Yes." Drusilla took hold of her hand firmly, and her father took her other hand; then Polydegmon held up a skull; the portkey. With a tug behind her navel and a dizzying whirl, Hecate was off to an unknown location, where Voldemort would be waiting.  
  
***  
  
Hecate opened her eyes warily, afraid of what she would see; as it turned out, she was right to be afraid. There stood Voldemort, holding his wand silently, red eyes upon her, burning into her mind like fire. She wanted to scream when she saw him...refrained. Instead she bowed deeply, "My Lord..." "Ah yes, another young one," said Voldemort calmly, "Hecate Winter...such a beautifully fitting name. As are your parents' names, for that matter..." Hecate looked up at him, awaiting his next move. "Stand up," he said easily, "it is time for you to be Branded." Three Death Eaters approached her and held out her left forearm, pulled back the sleeve; she tried to stop shivering, could barely contain herself. Then she noticed that one of them was holding her arm warmly, not with the cold, unfriendliness of the other two. She looked up at the Death Eater, but could not see his face through the hooded robe. Yet she still knew who it was; Snape.  
  
Suddenly her strength returned, and she found the power to stop her legs from wobbling. Voldemort looked down at her, then raised his wand, "Tortia Incantato!" he bellowed, aiming his wand at her forearm. She gasped with pain, and gripped Snape's arm to keep herself upright. The spell sizzled and burned the Mark onto her arm, but she kept her screams inside herself. A moment later, it died down, and she looked up at Voldemort, trying to keep the throbbing pain out of her mind. "Well done, Hecate Winter," he said, "you'll make a perfect Death Eater." She nodded, "Th-thank you, my Lord," and bowed her head. He smiled evilly, "You are all too welcome." Suddenly, she noticed a new glint in his eye...and it seemed much worse than before. "Hecate...now that you are a Death Eater, there is one more thing that I must speak with you about. In private."  
  
Hecate winced, wondering what that meant; the other Death Eaters, however, seemed to know, and retreated slowly...except for Snape. His heart went ice cold when he heard those words, and he found himself unable to leave. "Problem, Severus?" asked Voldemort. "Of course not, my Lord," said Snape, backing out of the room slowly; Hecate saw the moment and took it, "Aparecium!"  
  
***  
  
Hecate was in Snape's drawing room, and she fell to the floor gasping for breath; her arm felt as if it were on fire. Twenty minutes later, Snape appeared, looking extremely worn out. "They haven't figured it out yet," he said, "but they won't be fooled like that again. You won't be able to walk in public for a long time." Her breakfast churned in her stomach, "I feel like I'm about to vomit." Instantly, a bucket appeared in front of her, and she smiled weakly, "Thanks." Her arm, however, was still sizzling slightly, "Professor, it HURTS!" she moaned. "I know," he said, kneeling beside her and taking her arm gently. He conjured up a bowl of murtlap and rubbed it across the skin; within seconds the pain diminished, and she relaxed. "Nothing better than a bowl of murtlap before bedtime," she said, silently thanking the Fates for murtlap.  
  
Suddenly she remembered earlier, "Professor...what did Voldemort mean about talking to me 'in private'?" Snape's face grew pale, "Sometimes...he...likes to...conduct...private affairs...with new female Death Eaters he...likes." Hecate's stomach dropped, and suddenly she was retching into the bucket, and up came her breakfast, lunch, and everything, it seemed, she had ever eaten in her life.   
  
Ten minutes later she had stopped, but she still felt woozy. 'I came very close to losing more than just a bare patch of skin,' she thought with fright, 'I came closer to things I thought I'd never have to worry about.' Snape suddenly Apparated the bucket away, but the two of them continued to sit on the floor, the fire crackling warmly as if nothing horrific had ever happened. "You should go to bed," said Snape, "you need to rest." She nodded, "Alright. As long as I can take the murtlap with me?" He chuckled slightly, "You can take a whole barrel of it with you." She smiled for the first time in what felt like years, "Good. I don't know how I'll feel in the morning, but as long as the murtlap gets me through the night..." "It should," he replied, "just keep it on your arm nice and thick."  
  
Hecate stood up, "Well...lead the way then. I'm ready to sleep, and hopefully forget all of this." Snape stood, "Follow me." He led Hecate through the entirety of the mansion, and they passed many things, such as a portrait gallery, the kitchens, the foyer, seven bedrooms, and an old ballroom. "Hasn't been used in ages," he said hastily as they passed it.  
  
Her room was at the far end of the mansion, but it was well worth the seemingly endless walk. She smiled when she saw the bed; a large four-poster in almost the exact same style as Hogwarts' beds. The entire room, however, was covered in silver and green. "Lovely choice of color," she said, "Slytherin pride." He shrugged, "If you want to change them..." "I don't even care anymore," she said, "I just want to sleep." He nodded, "Well, I'll leave you to it, then. Goodnight." She turned to face him, "Thank you. Goodnight."  
  
Hecate's door closed quietly, and as Snape walked away, he had a strange feeling that he shouldn't let her sleep alone tonight. Not after what had just happened. A ball of dread welled up in his stomach, but he ignored it, and welcomed sleep when he finally collapsed on his bed.  
  
To Be Continued... 


	3. Keeping the Faith

The next morning, Hecate awoke slowly; last night seemed to have been a nightmare, but the moment she hit the satin sheets, a dreamless sleep took her. Now that she was up, it seemed as if everything would be all right. Standing up and stretching, she noticed only one small thing that seemed to make her nightmare a reality; the Dark Mark, still sizzling slightly on her skin. Applying a new layer of murtlap to it (and sighing with relief), she dressed quickly and opened the door only to find Snape fast asleep in the hallway in front of her. For a moment, she didn't know what to do, then, "Er...Professor..." she nudged him slightly, "Professor...it's...ah...time to get up."  
  
Snape's eyes opened blearily, then he jumped up, "I fell asleep!" She stared at him, "Yes. You did. In front of my door, of all places." "It was for your protection," he said, rearranging his disheveled robes, "I was thinking about it last night...decided it'd be better to just sleep out here." He yawned and stretched, then let out a grunt of pain; "That's not the softest bit of carpet you could have pulled up, I'll bet," said Hecate, "you're probably all stiff and sore now." He frowned, "Don't remind me." The rest of the day passed with little event, since Hecate had to stay inside the estate manor for fear of Death Eaters out on patrol.   
  
It wasn't until that evening that everything went horribly wrong.  
  
Snape and Hecate were sitting in the parlor, talking about nothing in particular when Albus Dumbledore's head suddenly appeared in the fireplace. "Severus get out of the house!" he cried, "Out now! Go to Diagon Alley and hide in the crowds! They've found you!" Snape immediately jumped up and grabbed hold of Hecate's hand, raised his wand, cried, "Aparecium!" And just as the world began to spin, Hecate noticed three more distinct pops of Apparation occurring in the room that were not their own...  
  
***  
  
When they had finished Apparating, they were at the junction of Diagon and Knockturn Alley. Hecate was almost breathless, and her stomach flip-flopped nervously when she saw the chaos erupting around them. People were running everywhere, and the gigantic clock at the junction was cracked; something was terribly wrong. "He's finally struck," said Snape warily, "it was just a matter of time..." Hecate gasped with horror when she saw several Death Eaters running from Knockturn Alley, and Snape immediately grabbed her and jerked her into a dark corner, where they both stood pressed against the wall in silence. They passed quickly, heading for Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions without a second glance at them. "We're not safe even here," said Snape, "they could spot us at any moment."  
  
Hecate was suddenly struck by an idea, "Could we go to Hogwarts?" Snape thought on it for a moment, "We could, but they're probably outside the gates. And you know we can't Apparate into Hogwarts. We'd be running for it." She looked around, noticing the spells flying every which way, "I think it'd be best to chance it."  
  
Snape's mind became a balance; on the one hand, he had Hecate's life to worry about; on the other, he had to think about what the odds were of Hogwarts still being safe. 'She's right,' he thought bitterly, 'we'll have to chance it.' "Alright," he said, turning to her swiftly, "the moment we're done Apparating, run. Don't look back to see if I'm there, don't say anything, just run through the gates. I'll be there, but it's best if we make as little noise as possible with as little disturbance as is necessary. If they're there at the gates, we'll be firing spells over our backs blindly, because there will be no time to stop and defend ourselves. Do you understand me?" She nodded gravely, winced as the Dark Mark burned; Snape, in turn, also winced, and clutched his arm slightly, "Ready?" She nodded again, "Ready," she rasped.  
  
He took hold of her arm, "Don't look back.  
  
"APARECIUM!"  
  
***  
  
Hecate almost screamed as the first spell whizzed over her head, then she turned and ran as quickly as her suddenly lead feet would allow. She heard Snape right behind her, gasping for breath, and soon their lungs were burning and their legs were steadily exhausting. More spells went off, there was a sound of running; Snape and Hecate both fired off spells blindly over their backs, hoping they were hitting someone. The Hogwarts front doors were fifty yards away, twenty-five, ten, nine...  
  
Then Snape fell.  
  
Hecate refused to listen to his advice and whipped about upon hearing him hit the ground and dragged him the rest of the way, firing spells at three Death Eaters who she now saw quite clearly as Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, and Macnair. She managed to hit Lestrange with a Freezing Charm, and Malfoy with a Blinding Spell, then stumbled inside. Thankfully, Dumbledore had been waiting for them, and he managed to catch Macnair with a Freezing Charm, then slammed the doors shut. "He's hurt!" said Hecate with fear as she looked at Snape's side; his ribcage was bleeding. "Take him to the dungeon," said Dumbledore, "I will be down there shortly as soon as I've taken care of the Death Eaters."  
  
Hecate placed a Levitation Charm on Snape, moving him to the dungeons slowly. As he moved, blood dripped steadily onto the floor, leaving a trail from the Entrance Hall all the way down the stairs; Hecate grew more and more worried as she put him down on one of the Potions worktables. "Professor..." she whispered, moving him by the shoulders; he was slowly becoming unconscious. "Professor...!" she hissed, "Snap out of it!" However, he remained unmoving, so she decided to begin working on his bleeding ribcage. It looked as though he might have been hit by a Bleeding Charm, one of the most advanced charms that she knew of. Instantly she was searching through his small library there in the laboratory, hoping to find a potion to counter a heavy Bleeding Charm.  
  
Thankfully, a minute later, she found her answer, but the potion would be very, very difficult. It said it would take thirty minutes to make; "Well," she said, as she rushed around and gathered ingredients, "thirty minutes just became ten."  
  
***  
  
For the next ten minutes, Hecate sweated heavily, chopping roots, boiling leaves, and snatching necessary ingredients from his private stores via the old-fashioned method of busting the locks off the cabinets. She was breathing hard as she prepared everything all at once, then put it all together; five minutes later, she had produced the blue, moderately thick potion. She sprinted across the room with a cup of it and a large paintbrush, then began pasting it across the bleeding area. 'Let it work, let it work, let it work...' she thought anxiously, hoping he hadn't lost too much blood. She watched what had been a steady trickle gradually begin to slow; then, after one long, grueling minute, stop altogether. She let out a sigh of relief and collapsed against the table, sinking to her knees. "Never again," she said morosely, "will I underestimate his talents as a Potions Master."  
  
***  
  
She must have been asleep against the table for an hour when Dumbledore came down and saw the miraculous work she had performed in the space of ten minutes. He looked at Snape, lying on the table, sleeping solidly, and examined his wound; it was almost gone now that the potion had had time to work. Hecate Winter, on the other hand, had chopped roots on her robe, and bits of blue paste on her fingers and sleeves; a few spatters of other fluids such as leech juice seemed to have gotten into her hair, probably from her nervous habit of running her hands through her hair. Dumbledore smiled down at her, then Conjured a blanket and laid it across her; subconsciously she snuggled into it, then was still. Deciding to let them both sleep till morning, Dumbledore left, magically locking the door behind him in case anyone should rudely decide to intrude.  
  
***  
  
Sunlight fell on Hecate's face slowly, and soon she felt as if she had been blinded by it; awaking slowly, and stretching her sore limbs, she rubbed her eyes. Then she noticed who was standing opposite of her; Snape. "Professor!" she cried, jumping up with delight at seeing him fully recovered. "It's too bad you graduated," he said suddenly, and with little expression, "because if you were I would have given you a million house points for the potion you made last night." She shrugged, her face turning slightly pink, "It was nothing anyone else wouldn't have done." "But it was you that did it, Miss Winter, and for that I'm grateful," he said. "I didn't know you could be grateful," she said with mock surprise. He smiled only just, said, "When I know I have to be, I am."  
  
Just then the door unlocked and Dumbledore poked his head in, "Everybody alright then?" "Perfectly fine," said Hecate with a smile. "Good," said Dumbledore, "now can we please eat breakfast?" Hecate and Snape exchanged looks, "With pleasure."  
  
***  
  
The rest of the day was spent in Dumbledore's office, discussing various matters of the Order of the Phoenix and the Death Eaters. "We can't stay locked up in Hogwarts forever," said Snape warily, "but after last night's events I'm afraid we may have to." Dumbledore sat back and popped a lemon drop into his mouth, "That is something I meant to discuss with the two of you. You see, last night Voldemort had a rather...bad time with his series of attacks. He coordinated several of them, but unfortunately, he lost two of his leaders right off, one of whom Miss Winter disposed of last night." "Malfoy?" said Hecate with curiosity. Dumbledore nodded, "Indeed. The other was Anton Dolohov, who was in Diagon Alley last night."  
  
Snape and Hecate exchanged looks; he had run right past them just before they had Apparated. "Now, thankfully, these two were both the brains of many of the Death Eater operations, so within half an hour, they began to crumble apart," said Dumbledore. "Personally, I think we owe this to Voldemort's underestimation of the capabilities of the Order, as well as some of his other ex-Death Eaters that I'm sure he did not foresee," he added, winking at Hecate warmly. She smiled, and he continued, "The only person that we really have to worry about now is Bellatrix Lestrange." "Bella? Why her?! I thought we got her last night!" cried Hecate.  
  
Dumbledore held up a hand, "True. However, when I closed the doors for a moment to allow you some retribution from their spell casting, it gave her a minute to get away. By the time the doors were open again she was gone. Either way, I don't think we'll be seeing her for at least a few days since almost all of the Death Eater forces are being destroyed even as we speak." "Considering she's daft off her rocker, I doubt it," said Hecate warily, "she'll probably blow herself up in the middle of Diagon Alley trying to take a couple of Aurors with her." "Well until then, there is little we can do but hope to scare her out of hiding," said Dumbledore. "Listen," said Snape suddenly, "this is excellent news, but will we be able to leave anytime soon? As much as I love the castle, I would like to see home sometime soon."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "And I have no doubt that you shall, quite possibly as early as tonight." Snape settled back in his chair, "Good." Hecate frowned, "But...where am I supposed to go?" Dumbledore shrugged, "Wherever you want to." Hecate looked down for a minute, then looked at Snape, "Can...may I...stay with you, for at least a few days?" He looked at her strangely, "I expected you to." She let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you." "Well," said Dumbledore, standing up, "I think that's all for right now." Snape and Hecate saw this as their cue to go, "Thank you very much Headmaster," said Hecate. He smiled, and his half-moon glasses twinkled, "You are very welcome." He held up his candy jar, "Lemon drop?"  
  
To Be Continued... 


	4. Broken Promises

"Broken Promises"  
  
Snape and Hecate had almost nothing to do for the rest of the day, which they spent on the Hogwarts grounds. For a while they discussed Hecate's future career down by the lake, with Hecate using a Tickling Charm on the giant squid, who seemed to giggle silently under the water, then speed off to some unknown location. "I see you as becoming a Potions Master," said Snape, "if you would go for it. Probably a half-way decent one at that." "Halfway decent? Some thanks for saving your life," she replied, zapping the giant squid with yet another Tickling Charm upon its' return from the murky depths of the lake. "Although you are still Professor Snape, so I suppose I can expect no more from you," she added.  
  
Snape frowned, looked away; for a moment Hecate thought she had offended him when he said, "I deserved that." "No you didn't, but I said it anyway," she said, staring at the giant squid sightlessly; a moment later Snape was back on the subject of her career. "Honestly I have no idea of what'll become of me," said Hecate, "although I would like to work here at Hogwarts."  
  
"Teaching what?"  
  
"Defense Against the Dark Arts."  
  
They both laughed.  
  
* * *  
  
Sometime in the early evening, Dumbledore came to see them both; "I have good news for you," he said, "we've rounded up the last of the Death Eaters, except for Bellatrix Lestrange, so you're free to go." Hecate did a little jig of happiness, "Thank you Headmaster!" "Well if that's all," said Snape, "then I guess we'll be off to the estate. Thank you very much, Albus." Dumbledore nodded, "Enjoy the rest of your summers, and please do stay in touch," he said with a smile. "Most definitely," said Hecate with relief, "now that this mess is over with."  
  
They were almost out the giant front doors when Dumbledore called out, "And Miss Winter, please contact me if you would like a position here at the school anytime soon." She turned back, "How did you know.?" Dumbledore simply smiled, then said, "A little birdie told me." She looked up at Snape, who looked at the statue of Uric the Oddball with sudden interest. She grinned, "I see. Thank you, Headmaster!"  
  
As they walked down the wide, emerald lawns of Hogwarts, Hecate said, "So you gave the Headmaster a little hint about my future profession, did you?" He shrugged, "I just mentioned that you might be interested in a career here." "Well, thank you, Professor," she said as they approached the great gates. He looked down at her, "If we're going to be working together, you had might as well address me by my first name." She was so startled she almost tripped, "Really?" He nodded, "I do have a first name, you know. I wasn't born with the name, 'Professor.'" She laughed, "No you weren't. Severus." He smiled, and for a moment Hecate felt there was no better friend than Severus Snape.  
  
Suddenly there was the "Pop!" of someone Apparating, and Hecate turned to see none other than Bellatrix Lestrange. Hecate screamed as she went for her wand, and Snape reached for his own. Lestrange, however, had been expecting this, and used a Freezing Charm on Snape, grabbed hold of Hecate's wrist, and Apparated.  
  
When Snape's charm broke, Hecate and Lestrange were gone.  
  
To Be Continued. 


	5. Renaissance

"Renaissance"  
  
Ten years later, Hecate now twenty-seven, Snape forty, the Death Eaters are  
making a comeback. Voldemort has already been destroyed during the historic duel between him and Harry Potter, but someone else has taken his  
place.  
  
Severus Snape sat at his desk in silence, grading the latest batch of papers from his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. He would have to grade the Potions papers after this, something he was not looking forward to; he should have thought of that, though, before he took on both classes. Someone knocked on his door, and he looked up to see Dumbledore standing there, not looking a day older than he had ten, fifteen years ago. "Hello, Severus," he said, approaching his desk, "how are you holding up?" "Fine," said Snape, "just fine."  
  
Dumbledore sat down in the chair opposite Snape, "Tomorrow is the ten year anniversary of her disappearance." 'I know that, for Christ's sake,' thought Snape angrily, "I know," he said aloud. "And after ten years, it's still not your fault," added Dumbledore. Snape, however, knew this as a lie, but said nothing; Dumbledore never conceded that to him whenever he argued. "There was nothing you could have done, Severus," he said quietly, "there was no way you could have known." Snape was silent, then suddenly he slammed his fist down on the desk, "Goddammit Albus! If I had been a hair quicker I would have stopped that psychotic witch from taking her! She was my responsibility and I let her go!"  
  
Dumbledore said nothing, then, "She could still be alive somewhere. Anywhere. The Earth is a large place." "We would have heard by now," said Snape, "we would have heard. That godless woman Lestrange probably killed her five minutes after they Apparated. If I ever see her again." "You will take her to Azkaban where she will await trial," said Dumbledore. "No I won't," warned Snape, "I'll kill her. I'll use the Cruciatus Curse on her. I'll kill her. She has no right to live." "Neither you a right to kill," said Dumbledore shortly, "don't sink to her level, Severus." "I did that a long time ago so there's no point in worrying about it now!" shouted Snape.  
  
The twinkle disappeared from Dumbledore's eyes, "Never say that again, Severus. You are such a good man, but you're so proud that you're kicking yourself in the ass about nothing." Snape blinked; he had never heard Dumbledore curse before. Dumbledore smiled, "I am human, you know." Snape almost smiled back, then refrained, "But I promised her. I promised." Dumbledore nodded, "But sometimes there are promises no one can keep, no matter what they do." For a few moments they were both silent, then Dumbledore said, "Let's go eat dinner, Severus. This is no time for you to be locked up in your office."  
  
Snape nodded, "I know. But I'm going into Hogsmeade; I need some more Potions ingredients, and I thought I'd just eat at the Hog's Head." Dumbledore nodded, then got up, "Then I will see you tonight at headquarters. Remember what time the meeting starts." Snape nodded, "I will. Good evening, Albus." Dumbledore nodded, then left. Snape put his head back against the chair, sinking into it slightly.  
  
It was still his fault.  
  
* * *  
  
Later that evening, Snape was sitting in a dark corner at the Hog's Head, drinking a Dwarven Stout, when some shifty-looking person sat down at his table. "Are you Severus Snape?" rasped the old man, coughing wetly. Snape blanched upon hearing the coughing, said, "Who's asking?" "A friend," he replied, pulling out a very dirty handkerchief and wiping his filthy face, "a very old friend." "Heca-!" Snape stopped himself. No. He mustn't do that to himself. "Who?" he asked calmly, "I have very few old friends." "An old school chum," said the man, coughing into the handkerchief. Snape's heart sank; one of his old crowd. Suddenly there was a cry of warning in his heart; it could be one of the New Death Eaters, part of the New Dark Order. "What's to say that my safety is guaranteed if I go with you?" said Snape. "The honor of your friend," replied the old man, "your friend guarantees your safety."  
  
Snape's head was booming with thought; he could risk it, but who knows whom this 'old friend' might turn out to be? Snape finally reached a decision, "You have me for ten minutes, then I'm gone." The old man nodded, stuffing away the handkerchief, "Alright then. Let's go outside where we can Apparate in privacy." They left without further ado, then the old man reached up and clasped Snape's shoulder, and the world suddenly spun madly about them.  
  
Snape only hoped it wasn't to his doom.  
  
* * *  
  
When the world finally stopped spinning, Snape realized he was inside an old house, somewhat reminiscent of the old Riddle house before it had been destroyed. The old man hacked out another series of coughs, then said, "This way." He followed the stooped-over old man to a large room with a fireplace, green flames crackling in it quietly. "Wait here," said the old man, leaving the room silently. Snape stood firm; ten minutes were slowly passing when a voice spoke from across the room. "Now is the winter of our discontent," said the voice, female. 'Lestrange,' he thought with rising anger, 'Lestrange.' Sure enough, she appeared from the shadows of the room; the years had not been kind to her, as her face was scarred and horrible, and one leg seemed gimp.  
  
"Severus Snape," hissed Bellatrix Lestrange with shaking fury, "the traitor in our midst." "I should have guessed it was you," snapped Snape angrily, "should have known you were still alive after all these years. You always had more brains than Malfoy; it only makes sense that you would start the New Dark Order after the destruction of him and Voldemort." "Me?" she whispered, "Me? If it had been me, if only it had been." Concern etched Snape's face, "It's not you? You're not the leader?" Bellatrix Lestrange laughed a dry, reedy laugh, "Of course not! Not me! Never me! It's-" "Let me handle this, Bella," said another voice from the other corner of the room. "Of course," said Lestrange, stepping aside. "Leave, Bella," said the voice, "I want to speak with him alone." Lestrange left, muttering bitterly under her breath, dragging her gimp leg behind her.  
  
Snape stood stilly erect, hearing the other person in the room approaching slowly. "My dear old friend," said the voice; it sounded so familiar, yet came from what seemed to him to be a person of dementia. Suddenly they stepped into the light of the dancing green flames, features alight, and Snape's breath caught.  
  
"Hecate?" he stuttered, "It's-it's you." "It's me," she said, raising her chin slightly. The room seemed to spin slightly, then Snape felt it right itself. It was none other than Hecate Winter, his long lost friend, his only friend, the only person who had ever joked with him, treated him as an equal. "It's been a long time, Severus. Exactly ten years tonight," she said, "and you've changed. And so have I." He stared at her, aware that she was currently the most dangerous person on the planet, and also the most wanted.yet she did not look ferocious to him at all. "Whoever would have thought I would end up starting Voldemort's work all over again?" she said rhetorically, smiling at him.  
  
Snape felt as if he were about to be sick; this was his fault, all his fault. She only continued to smile a sickeningly happy smile, "You haven't aged a day, do you know that? And I feel as if I haven't either. Perhaps we're both happy with our work; maybe that keeps us from aging." Snape felt his stomach flip-flop irregularly at the statement of, 'Happy with our work.' "What happened to you?" he said drily, "Killing Muggles wasn't the sport of the old Hecate I once knew." "You still do know me," she said, "I've just taken on a new sport, a new set of robes, and." she lifted up her sleeve, ".a new tattoo."  
  
The Dark Mark was gone from her arm; instead it was replaced with the symbol of the New Dark Order, a black phoenix rising with spread wings. "The phoenix," she said, "is quite possibly my favorite animal. Dumbledore has one, do you know? Fawkes. And the organization, the Order of the Phoenix.they're all over the place. But I like the phoenix because of what it symbolizes; rebirth.  
  
"Because, Severus, dearest friend, this is a time of renaissance for our world. The New Dark Order grows stronger every day, and with each day we near the renaissance of modern times, when the world will enter a rebirth unlike anything ever seen on this planet." Snape shuddered as she spoke, "A rebirth?" "Yes," she said, extending a hand to him; he took it hesitantly, "And I want you to be there when it happens." His blood turned to ice, "How do you mean?" Her smile disappeared slowly, "I have no friends amongst this crowd, Severus. But even after ten years, I still feel that no matter what, we are bound to each other forever by the friendship that neither you nor I were likely to give to each other. But we were friends, and you made a promise to me." His mind shook upon the mention of the promise, "I broke that promise," he said steadily.  
  
"But by no will of your own," she said, "if it had been your way, I'd probably be teaching at Hogwarts right now. But instead I'm bringing the next revolution to this world, and I want you with me, as a friend." She turned away and snapped her fingers; instantly a couch appeared in front of the flames, and she turned him toward it, made him sit down with her. She put her arms around him, head on his shoulder, then said, "Stay, Severus. What have you to gain by going back to Dumbledore? More papers to grade? Another year of going through it all alone? Just stay. Talk. Like how it once was."  
  
Snape felt as if this entire situation were a nightmare; his best friend and his worst enemy all at once, begging him to stay and be her friend forever, the other half of him begging for him to kill her and rid the world of a madwoman. But she seemed so.docile; this couldn't possibly be the same woman that killed Muggles, that tortured Aurors, that dispelled of Harry Potter.  
  
"I'll stay."  
  
To Be Continued. 


	6. Defeat

Snape felt the world growing steadily heavier upon  
  
his shoulders as the days passed; Hecate did not ask for him to  
  
participate in her work, allowed him to retreat to the house,  
  
but still he felt like scum. He was doing nothing to stop her!   
  
Surely this was a sin of some sort! But what could he do to  
  
stop her? He was surrounded by a host of people who did not  
  
trust him, did not receive him warmly; he shivered in his warm  
  
black cloak, aware of his situation now more than ever.  
  
  
  
That evening, a week after he had first agreed to  
  
stay, he was sitting on the couch when Hecate entered the room,  
  
looking frustrated, angry, and alone. She sat on the opposite  
  
end of the couch wordlessly, staring into the green flames with  
  
passionless eyes. Snape turned his head slightly, noticed she  
  
was sweating a bit, but said nothing to her; she looked too  
  
upset to speak. "We're having setbacks," she said, after a  
  
moment, "and it's all because of Dumbledore." Snape felt his  
  
heart sink at news of Dumbledore; he had let the Headmaster down  
  
once again.  
  
  
  
Just then, the door swung wide, and in stepped a  
  
blonde young man; Snape's expression turned to ice and stone as  
  
Hecate jumped up and squealed, "Draco!" She ran to his open  
  
arms, and he smiled coldly, receiving her with an almost  
  
arrogant look upon his face. Snape stood up, smoothing his  
  
black robes quietly, waiting for Hecate to finish hugging and  
  
kissing him as if he were the only other person on the planet.   
  
She turned to Snape, "Severus, you remember Draco Malfoy, don't  
  
you?" He smiled icily, "I most certainly do." Draco, in turn,  
  
looked upon Snape with interest, "Ah yes. Professor Snape. So  
  
nice to see you again. Glad to see you finally discovered your  
  
true self." Snape repressed the urge to throttle him, silently  
  
cursing him with every hex he knew of, "Indeed."  
  
  
  
Draco smiled poignantly then turned back to Hecate,  
  
looking down at her with something Snape did not like, "It's  
  
been such a long time since we last saw each other." She  
  
nodded, "I know. Your presence here is just about the only  
  
thing keeping me from falling into a depression. You and  
  
Severus, that is." She gestured to the couch and the three of  
  
them sat down together on the couch, Draco in between Severus  
  
and Hecate. "So," said Draco, "we should probably get the  
  
problem of Dumbledore out of the way before we get to anything  
  
else." Hecate nodded, growing serious, "He needs to go away.   
  
I'd rather not see him dead, more as I would incarcerated."   
  
"You're too soft," Draco said somewhat snappishly, "The old man  
  
needs to die. Otherwise he could come back and create a nuisance."  
  
  
  
Snape's skin crawled, his vision growing redder;  
  
"If we could just get him out of the way," snarled Draco, "our  
  
path to glory would be secure. Instead his little force of  
  
Aurors keeps buzzing at us like an annoying midge." Hecate  
  
cleared her throat, "The easiest way to dispatch of that would  
  
be to knock them all out at once, for which I have a good idea."  
  
Snape mentally shut off his ears, closed his eyes as Draco and  
  
Hecate plotted together.  
  
  
  
He wanted nothing more than to fall asleep and never wake up again.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The next evening Draco and Hecate left together,  
  
some new plot clearly on their minds. Snape was left alone for  
  
an hour and a half when Hecate suddenly Apparated into the room  
  
looking disheveled, hair askew and bleeding from her left  
  
temple. Snape leapt to his feet, "What happened?" She  
  
collapsed on the couch, gasping for breath, "We're winning, but  
  
only just. The fighting is almost over, I think, but I can't be  
  
sure. We'll know in a few minutes if someone returns with news."  
  
  
  
For twenty long minutes they waited, with Snape, in  
  
the meantime, dressing her wound carefully with a few good  
  
Healing spells. When he had finished, Hecate said, "Thank you,  
  
Severus " suddenly she looked up at him, "I think things might  
  
have turned out differently for the two of us had we stuck  
  
together." Snape did not know what that meant, nor had any time  
  
to think as a New Death Eater Apparated into the room. "We're  
  
losing, my Lady," said the Death Eater, gasping painfully, "our  
  
numbers are diminishing." "Is Draco still leading the fight?"  
  
said Hecate calmly. The Death Eater said nothing; "He's  
  
fallen," said Hecate suddenly. The Death Eater nodded, "We  
  
tried to save him, but " She winced, "You are dismissed." The  
  
Death Eater Apparated back to the battle, Hecate's face a mass  
  
of confusion.  
  
  
  
"I'm sorry," said Snape, "I'm sure you two were  
  
very close." She turned to him, "Not as close as you think. I  
  
was only using him for strategic reasons. Although I do feel  
  
like I've lost something." "You still found solace in him,"  
  
replied Snape quietly. "I did," said Hecate, "but I regret it."  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
That night Severus was sleeping lightly when he  
  
heard the door to his room open. He said nothing, only clutched  
  
his wand tightly in his hand, waiting for his attacker. He felt  
  
a warm weight on the foot of the bed, but he did not move not  
  
yet. The weight moved up the bed slowly, and his grip on his  
  
wand tightened; he could annihilate them in a flash, but  
  
remained still. "Severus," whispered Hecate's voice, "it's me."  
  
His grip loosened and he replaced his wand on his nightstand,  
  
"Thank God, I thought it was an intruder."  
  
  
  
"I have bad news, Severus," she said steadily,  
  
"we've lost." Severus felt his heart leap to his throat with  
  
joy and at the same time, sadness. They would be found anytime  
  
now, and when they found him with Hecate...they would both be  
  
carted off to Azkaban. "I'm sorry," said Severus, sitting up  
  
and turning on the bedside lamp. Hecate looked only slightly  
  
rattled, "It's alright. I somewhat expected this, in a way.   
  
There's no permanent win over someone as powerful as Dumbledore.  
  
I know that now." Severus remained silent, then, "What are you  
  
going to do now?" Hecate's chin fell slightly, clearly in deep  
  
thought; for a long moment, he waited. Finally, she spoke.  
  
  
  
"I'm turning myself in."  
  
  
  
For a minute, Snape's heart boomed with pride; she  
  
was no fool, and because of that, she might live...for a little  
  
while longer, at least. "But first," she said, standing up and  
  
facing him, "there's the small matter of you." Snape's blood  
  
turned to ice; this couldn't be happening. She raised her wand,  
  
"I'm sorry, Severus..."   
  
  
  
He reached for his wand too late as the Cruciatus Charm hit him.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued... 


	7. Eden

"Eden"  
  
This time when Snape awoke he was in the hospital wing of  
  
Hogwarts, and his head was bandaged quite securely. He sat up  
  
slowly, feeling the blood rush from his head, and he winced  
  
painfully, "Poppy?" he called. Poppy Pomfrey came bustling in a  
  
moment later, "Severus! I'm glad to see you're up so soon! But  
  
please do lie down, it's not good for your head to be sitting up!"  
  
she said fretfully. Snape shook his head but regretted it, "I must  
  
see Albus. Where is he? What happened after I went unconscious?   
  
Where's Hecate? Is she-?" "For goodness' sake Severus!" Pomfrey  
  
hissed like a goose, "Stop with all these questions! Miss Winter is  
  
perfectly fine! She's in the next bed, so I suggest you keep your  
  
voice down so the poor woman can sleep!"  
  
Snape's heart leapt into his throat with excitement, "So  
  
she's alright?" "She's fine, yes, now be quiet!" said Pomfrey,  
  
"They're already investigating the matter of the Dark Order, and the  
  
Headmaster said he would be up here shortly after you awoke, so ask  
  
your questions then!" She stormed off in a bustle, then turned  
  
back, "And lie down!" Snape knew better than to push his luck, so  
  
he lay down quickly and quietly.  
  
As he lay on the bed, he heard the quiet breathing of  
  
Hecate in the next bed; she did not sound as if she were asleep.   
  
"Sleep well?" he whispered softly. "Yes," she whispered back, "for  
  
the first time in a long time." There was a long pause, then, "I  
  
owe you everything, Severus. Thank you." "Let's just hope the  
  
story holds," he whispered, "if any of your Death Eaters come  
  
forward and point a finger at you, the entire thing will be down the  
  
toilet." "They won't," she said, "no one knew for certain that I  
  
was the head of the whole thing; at least a third of them really did  
  
think it was Draco. The other two thirds thought it was either me  
  
or Bella." "You kept them in the dark on purpose, didn't you?" he   
  
whispered.  
  
"Yes. It makes it easier when things like this happen.   
  
Then no one person can be pointed out as the head of the  
  
organization. Luckily, most of them are all dead, so hopefully no  
  
one will have the courage to come forward." Snape nodded, although  
  
only to himself, "I see." There was another long silence, then,  
  
"You were right, you know. About Draco and the Imperius Curse.   
  
That's how it started out. I would never have killed Muggles  
  
voluntarily if it weren't for the Imperius Curse. But after a  
  
while, I started...liking death. Draco didn't have to use the Curse  
  
anymore once he realized I had grown used to the savagery of the  
  
Death Eaters. Bella liked to add her own dose of curses too;  
  
usually Cruciatus. But I'll never use that as an excuse for the  
  
things I've done. I'm still a horrible, horrible person inside."  
  
Snape felt his blood boil thinking about the things they  
  
had done to her at such a young age. "You'll always be the best  
  
person to me, Hecate. I think deep down you never believed any of  
  
the things you partook in. You just...went along with it. Because  
  
it meant survival. That's what I did when I joined the first order  
  
of Dark wizards. And I'm still regretting it."  
  
This time the silence seemed to stretch on for a year and  
  
a day, with Severus reflecting deeply on what he had once done as a  
  
young man, whilst Hecate could think only of what would become of  
  
her future. The silence was broken ever so softly by three words  
  
from Hecate's mouth.  
  
"I love you."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
'How strange,' thought Severus, 'that an emotion I have  
  
hated all my life should be expressed so easily now.'  
  
The door to the hospital wing opened just then, and Albus  
  
Dumbledore looked at both Severus and Hecate with a warm gaze, "I  
  
see you're both conversing against Madam Pomfrey's orders, but  
  
sometimes rules are meant to be broken." He drew the curtain  
  
between their beds so he could talk to both of them at once, and sat  
  
down on the foot of Severus's bed. "I'm glad to see you're both  
  
recovering so well," began Dumbledore. "I'm particularly proud of  
  
you, Severus; you suffered two concussions and a major head  
  
laceration. I was positive you would be out for days." Snape  
  
merely blinked, said, "Thank you, Headmaster."  
  
"Now," continued Dumbledore, "to business. I'm sure  
  
you're both wondering whatever became of the whole situation after  
  
that dreadful mistake that almost cost you your soul," he said,  
  
looking at Hecate wisely. She only looked back at him innocently as  
  
he continued, "It seems that most of the Death Eaters were killed in  
  
the battle that took place the night before the Aurors found you.   
  
However, there are a few known Death Eaters that are still alive,  
  
but we are unable to track them, with the exception of one; Peter   
  
Pettigrew.  
  
"Last night he came to us begging for mercy and swearing  
  
that he would turn in whoever we asked of him." Snape felt his  
  
blood run cold; Pettigrew would almost certainly turn Hecate in to  
  
the Ministry. "And although we finagled many names from him, he  
  
could not reveal the name of their ringleader. His best guess, he  
  
said, was either Bellatrix Lestrange or Draco Malfoy, but he did not  
  
know for sure. He also mentioned your name, Hecate, but he said he  
  
thought you were just a puppet of Lestrange." Snape felt himself  
  
relax, "How interesting." Dumbledore's eyes sparkled, "Isn't it   
  
though?"  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
For the rest of the week, Severus  
  
and Hecate were both confined to their beds,  
  
but luckily they had good company. Poppy  
  
Pomfrey finally let them go on Friday  
  
afternoon, upon Severus's insistence, as  
  
well as that of the Headmaster. Ironically  
  
enough, they ended up down by the lake,  
  
where they conversed for at least an hour  
  
before a silence drifted in.   
  
  
  
"So," said Severus finally,  
  
"what's to become of us now?" "You say 'us'  
  
like we're supposed to be together," said  
  
Hecate, casting a Tickling Charm on the  
  
Giant Squid. "We are," said Severus, "I  
  
decided." Her temper flared, "You decided,  
  
did you? As if I'll just go along with it?"  
  
He nodded, "Yes." "You think I'm just  
  
going to say yes to whatever you say? Well  
  
you've got another thing coming, buster!"  
  
she said, standing up quickly. Severus  
  
continued to sit on the grass, "Do I?"   
  
"Yes! You do!" she said, voice rising  
  
slightly, "Because..."  
  
  
  
"Hecate."  
  
  
  
"What?"  
  
  
  
"Marry me."  
  
Hecate's heart melted, "Of course."  
  
  
  
**The End**  
  
  
  
  
  
**************************************************************************************  
  
A/N: Hey I just wanted to give special  
  
thanks to those that finished this fic  
  
completely. I hope you enjoyed reading it  
  
as much as I did writing it! (I'm all about  
  
writing Snape fic; I've also written a few  
  
other Snape fics if you would like to check  
  
those out too. I'd love to have more  
  
input.) Oh, and by the way, I kind of feel  
  
like doing a whole other sequel to this as  
  
in post-marriage period, but I don't know if  
  
I should or not. If you did/didn't like it,  
  
please let me know if you feel this would be wise. 


End file.
